Qantas airline under project Sunrise has challenged European Airbus SE and American Boeing to produce a plane that can travel for 20hours non-stop.

It has been projected that by 2022 travellers will be able to fly non-stop between London and Sydney using the Qantas flight.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said, “We’re now comfortable that we think we have vehicles that could do it.”

The two plane manufacturers were in Australia this week to present Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X models. The two companies are competing to manufacture the vehicle for Qantas. It is expected that a design will be chosen next year.

Airbus in an email to Bloomberg said, “We are looking at all the options to meet the Project Sunrise requirements but can’t comment on the details of our discussions with Qantas.”

The aim is to produce a vehicle that can travel 16,800km without stopovers for fuel refills while carrying 300passengers and their luggage.

Joyce added, “We’re challenging ourselves to think outside the box. Would you have the space used for other activities —exercise, bar, creche, sleeping areas and berths? Boeing and Airbus have been actually quite creative in coming up with ideas. I’m actually confident that it will get there and we will have aircraft in 2022.”

Qantas launched a 17-hour, non-stop Perth to London flight in March this year. Qantas’ direct flight saves around three hours compared to flights that make refueling stopovers in the Middle East.

However, 20-hour flights are already a reality as Singapore Airlines is set to start flying its Airbus A350-900ULR, New York to Singapore route in October this year. The 20-hour nonstop flights had been in operation in 2013 but were discontinued after it was determined not to be economically viable.

Singapore Airlines will operate the longest non-stop air route once the flights commence again.

By Airport Pickups London